Process Coding – Episodes: The pupils’ processes were parsed into episodes using an
adapted version of the framework for the analysis of videotaped problem solving
sessions by Schoenfeld (1985, ch. 9). An episode is “a period of time during which […]
a problem-solving group is engaged in one large task […] or a closely related body of
tasks in the service of the same goal” (ibid., p. 292). Schoenfeld introduces six types,
namely Reading, Analysis, Exploration, Planning, Implementation, and Verification,
which resemble Pólya’s (1945) phases of the problem solving process (cf. Rott 2011).
All videos were coded independently by three researchers and interrater-reliability was
computed as described in the TIMSS 1999 video study by applying the “percentage of
agreement” approach6 for determining the starting and ending points of episodes
(PA > 0.7) and for labelling those episodes (PA > 0.85) into the types. Afterward, all
differing codes were recoded together (consensual validation).